GEORGIA 



2460 



GEORGIA 



state gave up to the Federal government all 

 its territory west of the Chattahoochee in re- 

 turn for the promise that the title of the land 

 should be gradually taken away from the In- 

 dians and vested in the state. This did not 

 settle the matter, however, and at intervals 

 open warfare broke out, while conflicts between 

 the state and Federal governments were fre- 

 quent. But in 1832 the Creeks were driven out, 

 and six years later the last of the Cherokees 

 removed from the territory. 



War and Reconstruction. Though Georgia 

 was industrially as dependent upon slave labor 

 as were the other Southern states, and though 

 it held most firmly to the conviction that the 

 Federal government had no right to prohibit 

 slavery in a territory or to refuse admission to 

 a slave state, there existed a strong senti- 

 ment in favor of the Union. The leader in this 

 was Alexander H. Stephens, one of the strong- 

 est and most capable men that the South de- 

 veloped during the war period. Despite his 

 efforts, however, the election of Lincoln was 

 followed by the calling of a convention, which 

 on January 19, 1861, passed an ordinance of 

 secession, 208 delegates voting for it and 

 eighty-nine against it. 



During the war Georgia was the scene of 

 important military operations (see WAR OF 

 SECESSION), including Sherman's march "from 

 Atlanta to the sea," and few, if any, of the 

 states suffered more. Four-fifths of the public 

 property, it was estimated, was destroyed dur- 

 ing the raids of the Northern forces, and the 

 commercial depression that followed was very 

 serious. Nor did the reconstruction policy 

 inaugurated by President Johnson better mat- 

 ters. Carpetbaggers (which see) gained con- 

 trol of the government, and the wealth of the 

 state was wasted in reckless speculation and 

 in frauds. Within three years the public debt 

 was increased from $5,000,000 to $16,000,000, 

 and the accusations of embezzlement against 

 men in high government positions were not 

 in all cases unfounded. The ordinance of 

 secession was repealed and a new constitution 

 adopted, but Congress, as was natural under 

 the circumstances, objected to the attitude of 

 the state toward the negroes, and set up mili- 

 tary rule; and not until the beginning of 1871 

 was the state finally readmitted. 



Recent Development. The history of the 

 state since the Reconstruction period has been 

 largely one of progress and development of 

 the abundant resources. Two expositions, one 

 in 1881 and one in 1898, were held at Atlanta, 



and both gave evidence of the prosperity of 

 the state and of the large part which cotton 

 was likely to play in its further development. 

 The growth in manufactures, considerable as 

 it is, has but begun, and the industrial future 

 of the state appears most promising. 



Politically, Georgia has been since 1871 al- 

 most uniformly Democratic, though between 

 1890 and 1898 the Populists gained a strong 

 influence. In 1907 Hoke Smith, who had been 

 Secretary of the Interior in President Cleve- 

 land's Cabinet, became governor, and it was 

 he who signed the prohibition bill which went 

 into force the next year. He also actively 

 'supported a far more popular legislative act 

 that which took the vote from the negroes 

 (see Government, above). O.B. 



Other Items of Interest. The prohibition 

 law forbids the sale within the state of periodi- 

 cals carrying liquor advertisements, and more 

 than one newsdealer has paid a substantial 

 fine for violation of the provisions. 



In 1916 there was reopened near Atlanta the 

 university named for the founder of the col- 

 ony, Oglethorpe. This was originally estab- 

 lished in 1835, but was forced to close its doors 

 during the War of Secession, and had never 

 before attempted to reorganize. 



Recently the state has been devoting much 

 attention to improving its unprogressive moun- 

 tain sections, with a view to stamping out 

 illiteracy. Better rural schools, night classes 

 for adults, and extensive new highways form 

 a part of the scheme. 



The state owns the Western & Atlantic Rail- 

 road, which it built before the War of Seces- 

 sion. It is leased to the Nashville, Chatta- 

 nooga & Saint Louis Railway until 1919. 



Georgia was the latest founded of the thir- 

 teen original colonies. 



Scientists recognize in the United States nine 

 climate belts, and Georgia has examples of all 

 but one of these. The lowest, which has an 

 average yearly temperature of less than 40, 

 is to be found only on the mountain tops. 



Georgia was the home of Eli Whitney at 

 the time of his invention of the cotton gin. 



Consult Harris's Stories of Georgia; Derry's 

 Story of Georgia; Brooks's History of Georgia. 



Related Subjects. The following articles in 

 these volumes will help the reader to gain a more 

 detailed knowledge of the state of Georgia : 



CITIES AND TOWNS 



Albany Atlanta 



Americus Augusta 



Andersonville Brunswick 



Athens Columbus 



